Media personality Janet Mbugua has spoken out against Xenophobia, urging people to look beyond blaming foreigners for challenges facing the economy.
In a video shared on her social media platforms, Mbugua challenges the tendency to direct frustration towards foreign traders during periods of economic hardship.
“When things start to get hard, when an economy is struggling, why are you looking at the people around you instead of the choices that got us here?” she said. “We called this out in South Africa; we called it xenophobia, we named it, and now we are turning around and doing the same thing to people who also want things to work for them.”
She emphasised that economic difficulties should not be a reason to discriminate against people based on their nationalities or country of origin, urging the public to approach matters involving economic pressures with understanding and not hostility. Adding that immigration was a nuanced subject.
“Enforcing Kenya’s immigration laws is right, but the moment that turns into mobs pushing people out of shops and violence, then it becomes something else,” she said. “Nobody wants to be in another country trying to make it big. Everybody wants home to work for them; immigration is nuanced. It’s complex.”
Mbugua’s remarks come amid ongoing conversations around foreign nationals working in Kenya’s business environment.
Her message, captioned “Xenophobia is never the answer,” has sparked conversations around tolerance, coexistence, and the need for responsible discussions about economic challenges.
The media personality has previously used her platform to publicly speak about matters affecting kenyans more so health matters and social responsibility.
